Tender Ballads 01: A Primer

Tender. Ballads. Essential to anyone's music library, this particular brand of slow song transcends all normal notions of musical taste and even decency. Tender ballads cut deep and hit emotional soft spots, at times reducing listeners to inexcusable displays of sentiment. While certainly appropriate at any time of day or night, tender ballads are best enjoyed in the late hours of nights out, when there's nobody left but your closest friends and your raw, confessional feelings for company. I considered placing tender ballads under several existing categories, but realized that they unquestionably warranted their own post series. Here are some classic tender ballads to get started. Of course, there are many, many more where these came from, so don't fret if one of your favorite tear-jerkers is missing from the initial list.

First up is possibly the tenderest ballad ever, Leona Lewis's "Bleeding Love" (previously featured in the Best Singles of 2007 list). Next is the first song to ever be dubbed a "tender ballad" by my friends and me, Bonnie Tyler's overly dramatic and cheesy "Total Eclipse of the Heart." For some rock tender ballads, look no further than U2's "With Or Without You" and Coldplay's "The Scientist," both tried-and-true fixtures in the tender ballad canon. I'd recommend keeping tissues handy and dangerous objects out of reach for these. Look for some Mariah Carey and Alicia Keys, among others, in the next installment.

Leona Lewis, "Bleeding Love" [zShare]
Bonnie Tyler, "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" [zShare]
U2, "With Or Without You" [zShare]
Coldplay, "The Scientist" [zShare]

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